Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1983 Mar;73(3):290-2.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.73.3.290.

Contamination of the food chain by polychlorinated biphenyls from a broken transformer

Contamination of the food chain by polychlorinated biphenyls from a broken transformer

D P Drotman et al. Am J Public Health. 1983 Mar.

Abstract

In 1979, widespread distribution of chicken and egg food products and grease contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) occurred across the United States and as far away as Canada and Japan. The contamination was traced to an accidental leakage of PCBs from a transformer stored in a hog slaughtering plant in Montana. Breast milk analyses showed the PCB absorption had occurred among egg consumers. The episode illustrates the need for heightened vigilance over the fate of PCBs still in use.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Lancet. 1978 Sep 23;2(8091):643-6 - PubMed
    1. J Assoc Off Anal Chem. 1981 Sep;64(5):1131-7 - PubMed
    1. J Chromatogr Sci. 1973 Jul;11(7):366-73 - PubMed

Substances

LinkOut - more resources